


The Diamonds in the Rough

by Anthemyst



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aladdin AU, Disney AU, F/M, Marinette's the thief and Adrien's the princess, because obviously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 20:40:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9019342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anthemyst/pseuds/Anthemyst
Summary: Adrien is a sheltered prince who just wants to leave the palace for once and see the world. Ladybug's a resourceful, street-smart thief. When Ladybug rescues a disguised Prince Adrien one day in the marketplace, he falls head over heels. But someone else has noticed the thief as well-the evil sorcerer Hawkmoth, who will stop at nothing to resurrect his wife and who needs a thief to steal a very powerful magical artifact...
For hades-pa for ML Secret Santa 2016





	

1.

 

On a dark, moonless night, at an hour when total stillness enveloped the great city of Agrabah, a shadowy figure cloaked in purple made his way across the royal courtyards of the palace. Though multiple guards patrolled these grounds at all hours, none observed him. He reached a tower, small and unassuming compared to the nearby palace that loomed over it, and entered. He made his way up, up, up the spiral staircase to the very top and entered the building’s only room. Only then did he relax, pushing his cowl back and leaning against the door. Slowly, carefully, he pulled a black ring out of his pocket and held it up.

“At last, Nooroo,” he whispered, and a small purple djinn appeared before him. “At last I’ve found it.” Nooroo said nothing, but floated over the sorcerer’s shoulder as he slid the ring on his finger and rubbed it vigorously. Instantly, a cloud of smoke emerged, and a few moments later a black djinn formed. He opened his striking green eyes and looked up at them both.

“Nooroo!” the djinn exclaimed. “Long time, no see. What’s it been? Twelve, thirteen hundred years?”

“It’s nice to see you, too, Plagg,” Nooroo said.

“Stop _socializing_ ,” the sorcerer snapped. “You’re not here to talk to my other djinn, you’re here to obey my commands.”

“Yeesh, kid, lighten up,” Plagg said. The sorcerer raised an eyebrow.

“ _Kid_? Do you have any idea how old I am?” he demanded. Plagg seemed unimpressed.

“Do you have any idea how old _I_ am?” the djinn retorted.

“You will address me as Master, do you understand?”

“Just do what he wants,” Nooroo added wearily. “It’s faster.” Plagg rolled his eyes.

“Fine,” he said. “Your wish is my command, _Master_. You only get three, so use them wisely.”

“I only need one,” the sorcerer said. “I want my wife back. She died many years ago.”

“Okay, two problems,” Plagg said. “First, you have to start with ‘I wish’, got it? Second, I can’t bring the dead back to life on my own.”

The sorcerer’s eyes flashed angrily. “What? Then what is the _point_ of you?” He glared at Nooroo. “Did you know this?”

“Calm down,” Plagg said, “I said on my _own_. That ring you’re holding is the Ring of Destruction. It’s one of a pair. You need both of them for what you want. And it's no use using me to wish for it, either, we can't use our magic on one another. You'll have to get the Ring of Creation yourself.”

“Then tell me where the other Ring is,” the sorcerer said impatiently.

“Sorry, that’s gonna cost you a wish.”

“Very well,” the sorcerer said. “I wish to know where… no.” He stopped himself and considered his wish for a good minute or two. “Djinn,” he finally said, “I wish for you to tell me _everything_ I need to know in order to acquire the second ring.”

“Nice save,” Plagg said. “All right, listen up. The second ring, the Ring of Creation, is in a place called the Cave of Wonders. It’s a dangerous cavern, filled with treasures beyond imagining, but it will devour any who enter and dare touch any treasure save the ring. I can guide you to its entrance, but it will only appear in the presence of someone eligible to enter. Someone worthy. And that’s a short list that, sadly, does not include you.”

“Then who do I need?”

“Seek thee out the diamond in the rough,” Plagg replied. The sorcerer glared at him.

“I don’t recall wishing for my time to be wasted by cryptic riddles,” he said.

“Fine, fine. Here,” Plagg said. He waved a hand, and smoke swirled around it. The image of a face appeared in the air between them. “This is the nearest person eligible.” The sorcerer’s face grew livid, and Nooroo winced.

“Are you _mocking_ me?” the sorcerer demanded.

“What?” Plagg asked. “What’s wrong?”

“That is my _son_.”

“Really?” Plagg looked back and forth between the image and the sorcerer. “Huh, go figure. Cute kid. Must take after his mother. No wonder you want her back.”

“This is completely unacceptable. I cannot send my son into a dangerous cavern to retrieve this ring. I need someone _disposable_. Show me the next closest diamond.”

“You wished for all the information you _needed_ to get the Ring of Creation,” Plagg said, “and I’ve given you that. If you want additional information you _don’t_ need, that’s another wish. And just as a heads-up, you’ll need one wish left on each ring if you want to combine them to bring your wife back.”

The sorcerer clenched his jaw for a moment, and a vein in his temple started throbbing. “Do not test me, djinn. I am not a man to be trifled with.”

“Look, I don’t make the rules, sorry.”

The sorcerer wrapped his fingers around the top of his long cane and gripped it so tightly his knuckles turned pale. “Fine. Djinn, I wish for you to give me the names and faces of _every_ individual in Agrabah capable of entering this Cave of Wonders, do you understand me?”

“There’s only one other in the city,” Plagg told him. The smoke shifted, and now a young girl’s face appeared in the air between them. “She’s a thief in the marketplace, goes by the name of Ladybug.”

“Ladybug,” the sorcerer muttered. “Yes. Yes, she looks quite disposable indeed. I’m sure she’ll do nicely.”

  
2.

 

“Get back here, thief!”

Grinning to herself, Ladybug ducked under the outstretched arm of a city guard and took a sharp right down a side alley. She knew this city like the back of her hand, she could run these streets and paths in her sleep, she’d grown up on these streets and they’d raised her well.

Right, left, left, over the fence, through the abandoned building on the other side, right again…

One by one, Ladybug lost the guards, until only one remained. He managed to keep pace, never allowing her to leave his sight for more than a second, but eventually he turned a corner and she was gone. As he looked about frantically, a teenage girl began to scream.

“Thief! Oh, thank God-Guard, a thief has taken my bag!” She pointed down a long alleyway. “She went down there, that way.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll catch her,” the guard promised, before disappearing. Once he was out of sight, the girl grinned and knocked softly against the large vase she was standing next to.

“All clear,” she whispered, and a second later Ladybug emerged.

“Thanks, Vol, I owe you one,” she said. She pulled down the black and red scarf covering her face, revealing an appreciative grin.

“Any time, girl. What’d you get in trouble for this time?”

“Oh, the usual. God forbid a girl gets to eat for once in this city. Don’t the guards have better things to do? Shouldn’t they be trying to catch actual dangerous criminals, like that sorcerer Hawkmoth?”

Volpina shrugged. “They do what the Sultan commands, and the Sultan cares more about punishing his people than taking care of them, I guess.” From off in the distance, there was the sound of trumpets. “Oh, and marrying off that son of his, he cares about that. There’s a new princess in town, did you hear?”

The two girls made their way to the excited throngs, gathered around to witness the arrival of Princess Chloe. It was hard to see over the heads of everyone around her, but Ladybug could just make out a golden palanquin, draped in black and yellow gauze. The crowd oohed and aahed in appreciation, and cheered as she passed. Volpina and Ladybug exchanged a wry can-you-believe-this glance, although secretly both were more than a little envious.

Suddenly, the palanquin came to an abrupt halt. The horse of one of the princess’ accompanying guards reared up, and the crowd gasped in horror. Ladybug could just make out the figure of a little boy in the middle of the street, lying prone. Without even taking time to think about what she was doing, Ladybug darted artfully between the people in front of her and made her way swiftly to the boy’s side, grabbing him out of the way just in time.

“Watch where you’re going!” Ladybug shouted angrily at the palanquin. A delicate hand pushed aside one of the drapes, and a beautiful face scowled at her from inside.

“Excuse me? How dare you speak to me in that way! I am a princess, and soon I will be your queen.”

“Well, if I were a princess as rich as you, I could afford some manners,” Ladybug snapped. A gasp went up from the surrounding crowd.

“Shall we have her arrested, your majesty?” one of the princess’ guards asked.

The princess dropped her hand, letting the curtain fall and shield her from the gaze of the crowd. “Why bother?” she asked, sounding bored. “She’s a nobody, a worthless street rat. It’s not worth my time to spend a second more than necessary on these disgusting streets. Continue on towards the palace.” And just like that the entire procession began moving again, ignoring Ladybug as though she were nothing. After a moment of shock, Ladybug quickly darted away before the princess could change her mind, carrying the frightened little boy with her. She ducked down one side alley after another, until they were completely separated from the curious crowds.

“Are you alright?” Ladybug asked the child. He looked up at her, wide-eyed, and nodded silently. “Not hurt?” The boy shook his head, but he didn’t look well. “When’s the last time you ate?”

“Um…”

Sighing, Ladybug pulled a loaf of bread out of one of the many pockets sewn inside her baggy clothing. It was the loaf she’d stolen earlier that morning, the one she’d gone to so much trouble to get, but she knew she couldn’t eat a bite of it now that this little boy’s eyes were looking up at her. “Here,” she said gently. The boy froze, looked at Ladybug suspiciously for a moment, then grabbed the loaf and ran off before Ladybug could say another word.

A part of Ladybug wanted to be a little offended at not even getting a thank-you, but she remembered what it had been like, living on the streets at that age. You took any bit of kindness you could find and you ran off with it and hid it from the world, before it could be revoked, before it could be taken back from you.

  
3.

 

“Going somewhere, your highness?”

Sighing in defeat, Prince Adrien stopped climbing the wall of the courtyard. He let go and fell to the ground, landing easily in a soft crouch before straightening and allowing his personal guard to escort him back to the palace, where his father was waiting impatiently for him.

“Adrien, this behavior is beyond unacceptable,” the Sultan said, sitting upon his throne in the royal receiving hall and looking down on his son. When they were in these positions, Adrien felt far more like a subject awaiting judgement than a son talking to his father. “It’s bad enough you slighted the Princess Chloe, after she’d travelled all this way just to meet you, but attempting to enter the _city_? What can you have been thinking?”

Adrien shrank under his father’s cool, emotionless gaze, as he always did, but he was determined to stand up for himself for once. “I was thinking,” Adrien said steadily, “that I can’t choose the best future Sultana for this city if I’ve never even _seen_ it. How can I make any decisions in the best interests of a people I’ve never even met?”

“Don’t be absurd, Adrien, that’s what viziers are for.”

_Then why do you ignore all yours?_ Adrien thought, though he never would have dared say it out loud.

“The truth of the matter is,” his father continued, “it hardly matters which princess you choose. Every princess I’ve allowed you to meet has been more than sufficient in some aspect or another. Wealth, power, trade connections-any one of them would be a fine match and an asset to this kingdom. Pick whichever one is your favorite, but you must _choose_ , before they all find alternative arrangements, do you understand? Now, who do you want to marry?”

“I want to marry someone I _love_ , Father,” Adrien said desperately.

The Sultan raised an eyebrow. “That is very naive of you, my son,” he said.

“You loved Mother,” Adrien pointed out, and for a moment his father’s face softened at the memory of the woman. It was only a moment, however, and then his hard expression was back.

“If you are waiting for a princess that is the equal of your mother,” the Sultan said, “you will be waiting forever. And that, I’m afraid, will not do.”

 

~~~

 

In the middle of the night, Adrien stole out of bed and made his way through the palace. One advantage of never being allowed to leave the place, he had to admit, was that he knew it like the back of his hand, and could easily get from one end to the other without being discovered by any of his guard.

In no time at all, he was at his father’s quarters. Slipping past his father’s own guard, he entered the Sultan’s private chambers. He made his way perfectly silently to the large bed, and was not a bit surprised to find it empty.

_I knew it_ , he thought triumphantly. _Somewhere in my father’s quarters, there is a secret passage out of this palace._

In the dim moonlight that filtered through the large open windows, Adrien started to search his father’s room. Soon he was pushing and prodding every sconce, every nondescript knot in the wood of the walls, pulling every tassel, certain that somehow he would trigger a secret door to open. After about ten minutes of searching, though, he’d had no luck. He was just about to leave in defeat when a box caught his eye, tucked deep in the darkness behind his father’s bed. Crouching down, he grabbed it and lifted it up. There was a combination lock holding it shut, but it opened for the second number Adrien guessed-his mother’s birthday.

Inside the box was a black ring. Adrien picked it up, then slid it on his finger. It had looked far too big when he’d first seen it, but now that it was on it fit him perfectly. Adrien squinted at it in the low light of the room, and noticed some faded inscription. He rubbed at it, trying to make it clearer, and the next thing he knew the ring was giving off a cloud of black smoke. Adrien quickly tried to remove it, but before he could-

“What is your final wish, O Mast-oh, wait, you’re not-Hey, it’s the diamond!” Adrien stared at the black djinn before him, jaw dropped. The djinn glanced around the lavish room. “This isn’t exactly ‘the rough’ you’re in, though, is it? Well, I suppose there’s more than one kind of rough. Something tells me you haven’t exactly had the easiest life despite all appearances to the contrary, huh?”

“Um…” Adrien was still trying to wrap his head around what was happening, and he didn’t understand most of what the djinn was saying. “You’re a djinn, right?”

“That’s right, kid. Name’s Plagg.”

“What kind of djinn?” There were all sorts, but Adrien had never seen one before. He’d heard of very weak ones, that could only do small favors. There were the mid-level ones, which could bestow magical powers upon mortal men. And then there were the most powerful ones, the rarest ones of all, the ones that could-

“I’m the best kind, kid,” Plagg said proudly. “I’m the kind that grants wishes.”

“Really?” Adrien’s eyes widened in excitement, but then he looked back at the box nervously. “What did my father wish for?” he asked.

“Sorry, I can’t discuss previous masters.”

“So… so if I make a wish and put you back, my father won’t have any idea I used you?”

“Not a clue,” Plagg promised. “Although you do get three wishes, so maybe you’d like to hang on to that-”

“I wish I could visit Agrabah, the _real_ Agrabah, walk through it and meet the people who live there, without being recognized,” Adrien said in a rush.

“Done.” Plagg snapped, and Adrien’s royal garb was instantly replaced with a plain black shirt and pants. He looked down at it for a moment, then looked back up, indignant.

“Seriously? I could have changed into a disguise on my own!”

“It’s not my fault you’re bad at wishes,” Plagg said. Adrien continued to glare at him. “Oh, fine,” he said, “but only because I like you. Here.” He snapped again, and suddenly Adrien felt something on his face. “That mask is magic. It’ll prevent anyone from recognizing you, no matter how good a look they get. You could be an inch away from your father’s face and he’d have no idea it was you. Happy?”

Adrien nodded. “Perfect, thank you,” he said the earnestly. He began to remove the ring from his hand.

“Woah, what’s the rush? You’ve got two wishes left!”

“I don’t want my father realizing I found you,” Adrien explained. “I’ll sneak back later for the other two wishes, once I’ve been to the city and I have a better idea of what my people need, okay?”

“Suit yourself, kid,” Plagg said. “Good luck on your little adventure.”

  
4.

 

Ladybug and Volpina were relaxing together on an abandoned rooftop that overlooked the marketplace, idly observing the crowds and looking for opportunities.

“The guards seem more focused than usual today,” Volpina complained. “Is there another princess visiting?”

“I don’t think so,” Ladybug replied. “See any good marks?”

“Not yet.” They fell into a comfortable silence as the sun climbed higher in the sky and the day began to grow hot. Ladybug was just about to suggest moving to another spot, an area more likely to have rich patrons with pockets to pick, when a boy her age caught her attention. She couldn’t have said what it was about him that drew her eye. He seemed perfectly ordinary, dressed in plain black, and was almost certainly not worth the bother of robbing. He wore a mask, which was highly unusual, but Ladybug didn’t notice it. She did notice his eyes, which were a soft green and incredibly kind. They were also huge at the moment, staring at everything around the boy as though he’d never before seen anything as incredible as this perfectly ordinary bazaar.

The boy noticed a small child reaching up, trying to grab an apple off a nearby stand. He picked one up and handed it to her, seemingly without any thought whatsoever. Ladybug’s blood went cold-everyone knew not to steal from _that_ merchant, she thought. Sure enough, the apple seller noticed right away.

“You’d better be able to pay for that,” he said to the young man, startling him.

“Pay? Oh, of course, sorry, I just… um…” He started patting himself all over uselessly. “I’m so sorry, I don’t seem to-Don’t worry, though, I’ll just run back to the palace and get-”

“Thief!” The merchant grabbed the boy’s wrist before he had a chance to move. “No one steals from my cart!”

“Please, you don’t understand, the Sultan-” The boy was trying to get away, but he was completely helpless in the grip of the enraged merchant. The man pulled out his giant scimitar, the reason every thief in Agrabah knew to give his cart a wide berth.

“Do you know what the penalty is for stealing?” The blade came down swiftly at the boy’s wrist, when suddenly-

“Oh, thank God you found him!” Ladybug managed to put herself between the blade and the boy, and deflected it despite her small stature. She shook the confused merchant’s hand before grabbing the boy. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” she scolded.

“What are you doing?” he asked in a whisper.

“Just play along,” she replied.

“You know this thief?” the merchant demanded

“Thief?” Ladybug turned back around. “Sir, this is my brother, and he’s no thief. He’s just,” the girl dropped her voice, “a little crazy. Lives in his own world, you know? It drives our mother mad, I have to follow him around everywhere fixing all his little messes. But no harm done, right?” She handed the merchant an apple and winked. The merchant stared at it suspiciously for a moment.

“He said he was going to the palace. He mentioned the _Sultan_.”

Ladybug chuckled. “He thinks my best friend is the Sultan,” she explained. She pointed to Volpina, who was observing nearby, then shot the boy a pointed glare.

“Oh… Oh, wise Sultan!” The boy fell to his knees before the girl and bowed elaborately. “How may I serve you?”

“Uh… Oh, just keep up the good work, my boy!” Volpina patted him on the head, then gave an elaborate bow in return. Ladybug was just starting to relax, seeing that her ploy was working, when Volpina’s bow went just a _little_ too low, and everything she’d managed to snatch in the last two minutes came falling out of her hidden pockets. “Whoops.”

“New plan,” Ladybug said, grabbing the boy’s hand while the merchant was still putting two and two together. “Run!”

 

~~~

 

Adrien could just barely keep up with this amazing girl who’d rescued him. The way she led him through the city was incredible: changing directions at the last possible second, finding all these little alleys and hiding spots, leading him over rooftops and under fences. She knew this city better than he knew the palace, and that was saying something. The prince made a mental note to ask her for a tour, once they weren’t so busy running for their lives.

Finally, they’d lost the last of the guards, and all three of them leaned against a wall, breathing heavily.

“I’m… Ladybug…” the girl said, holding out her hand while gasping for air. The prince shook it, using his own heavy breathing as an excuse to stall while he thought of a suitable alias.

“Chat Noir,” he finally replied.

“You new in town, Chat?” the second girl asked. “Most people know better than to steal apples from that guy. I’m Volpina, by the way.”

“Oh… yeah, I’m new,” he admitted. “I’m really sorry if I got you girls in trouble or something.”

Ladybug and Volpina both started laughing. “Oh no, Ladybug,” Volpina said, delighted. “ _Trouble_. Gosh, we’ve never had any of that before, have we?”

“I don’t know how we’ll go on,” Ladybug added. She patted the boy’s arm comfortingly. “Don’t worry, we know how to handle ourselves. Come on, we’ll take you back to our place.”

“Thanks.” He followed them through the streets silently for a bit. “Can I ask… that little girl, she looked like she was starving.”

“She _was_ starving,” Ladybug replied. She glanced at him. “They don’t have starving kids on the street where you’re from?” she asked.

“Not exactly.”

“Sounds like a paradise. There’s more here than I can count. Volpina and I used to be just like that little girl, before we grew up a bit and learned a trick or two.”

“But…” Chat frowned. “Why doesn’t the Sultan find some way to take care of them, if there are so many?”

“The Sultan doesn’t care,” Volpina said bitterly. “Ever since his wife died, things in the city have just gotten worse and worse. Have you heard of Hawkmoth?”

The prince had heard the name, but never any details. He knew each and every one of his father’s viziers was very concerned about the man, but his father continually insisted that the problem was overblown and nothing need be done. “A little,” he said. “He’s a sorcerer?”

“Yeah,” Ladybug said. “He’s been terrorizing the city for years now. But the guards don’t go after him, they don’t do anything. It makes sense, I guess-if you were a guard for the Sultan, and he didn’t care what you did, who would you go after? An all-powerful sorcerer that’s ruined countless lives, or people like us, who can’t fight back?”

“That’s awful.”

Ladybug shrugged. “Well, what can you do?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll do _something_ ,” Chat said. Ladybug laughed.

“That’s sweet,” she said. She stopped at a run-down staircase. “We’re up here.” Chat followed the two up the staircase, being careful of more than a few missing steps. Ladybug offered him a hand for the last bit of it, pulling him up, and suddenly-

“Pretty great view, right?” Ladybug asked, as Chat gaped at the palace in all its magnificence. He’d never seen it like this before, never realized what it looked like from the outside.

“What do you think it’s like to live in a place like that?” Volpina wondered, leaning against a crumbling wall. “People doing every little thing for you? Everything you could want right there, never having to leave?”

“It’s probably a little confining, don’t you think?” Chat asked. “Like a prison after a while.”

“If that’s a prison, then lock me up,” Volpina said cheerfully.

“Oh, he’s got a point,” Ladybug said. “If living in the palace was so great, the Sultan wouldn’t be so…” she trailed off.

“Maybe his son will be better,” Chat said. “Once he’s in charge.”

“Why would he be?” Ladybug asked skeptically. Chat shrugged.

“Maybe he’ll realize things are bad out here,” he said. “Maybe he’ll come to the city, and see everything, and meet people, and realize there are problems that need to be solved. Maybe he’ll do something about Hawkmoth.”

Ladybug shrugged. “Nice to dream, I guess, but-”

“There you are!” Three sets of eyes widened in horror. Ladybug and Volpina quickly exchanged a glance that communicated an entire plan of action, and then they both dashed off in different directions. They’d planned for this eventuality, but they hadn’t planned on having a guest over when it happened. Ladybug grabbed Chat’s wrist and began to lead him away, but he slowed her down and soon the both of them were surrounded. The head guard grabbed Ladybug roughly, and another guard quickly rushed forward to tie her hands behind her back before she could wriggle out of his grasp.

“At last, we’ve caught the infamous-”

“Unhand her!” Her companion, who none of the guards had paid much attention to at all, pulled off his mask and quickly tucked it away. “By the order of Prince Adrien.” All the guards instantly recognized him, and kneeled at once, except for the two holding Ladybug. Ladybug was staring at him in complete and total shock.

“Your highness! I-” The head guard bowed, but maintained his grip on Ladybug. “I’m afraid you don’t understand. This girl is a wanted criminal, and we are arresting her at the order of your father himself. I’m afraid if you want her released you’ll have to discuss it with him.”

“Believe me,” the prince said, “I will.”

  
5.

 

“The prince!” Ladybug muttered to herself. “What an idiot I am. How did I not recognize him?” She pulled idly at her shackles, but they didn't budge. Sighing, she leaned back against the prison wall and looked out the small, high window.

The _prince_. The prince had snuck into the city! He'd tried helping a starving little girl-he'd made a complete mess of it, of course, but the impulse had been pure. Ladybug had insulted the Sultan, insulted his father, to the prince’s face, but he hadn't batted an eyelash at it. He'd talked about fixing the city, saving Agrabah from his father’s negligence. It was too good to be believed, that there might be a kind, attentive ruler soon.

Through the bars of the window, Ladybug heard a familiar tune being whistled in the distance. Grinning, she whistled the response. A minute later, her best friend’s face appeared at the window, grinning down at her.

“Need some help?” Volpina asked. She held up a key, then tossed it into her friend’s waiting hand.

“Thanks, Vol, that's the second time you've saved me today.” Ladybug began to unlock her shackles.

“Are we keeping score now?” Volpina glanced down the street. “I'd better go before I'm spotted. See you back at our place.” Volpina disappeared, but soon Ladybug had freed herself, and started to silently make her way to the prison’s exit. With this system in place, neither Ladybug nor Volpina had spent more than a few hours in prison at a time in over five years.

“Impressive,” a cold voice from the shadows said, when Ladybug was about ten feet from the door. “I do believe you would have escaped, had I not been here.”

Ladybug didn't bother trying to find out who the voice belonged to. She simply started running for the exit. A second later, her feet were frozen to the ground by some invisible force. She whirled her head around, furious. “Who are you?” she demanded. “What do you want?”

A tall figure cloaked in purple stepped out from the shadows. “Who am I?” he repeated. “How disappointing. I had rather hoped my reputation would precede me. As for what I want, that is a deeper mystery, so I suppose I can't fault you for not knowing it.”

Ladybug gasped. “Hawkmoth,” she hissed.

“Correct. And you are Ladybug.” Ladybug said nothing, but merely continued to glare. “I have a proposition for you,” he continued. “I find myself in want of a thief and you, I hear, are the best.”

“No way,” Ladybug said immediately.

“You haven't even heard what I'm offering,” Hawkmoth said. “Treasures beyond your wildest imagination.” He stroked his long fingers over the purple stone of his staff, and in the dim moonlight of the cell it almost seemed to glow. For a moment, Ladybug was overwhelmed with temptation. But then she remembered what this man had done to her city, and she shook it off.

“I don't want treasure,” she spat at him. He blinked, startled, and looked at his staff for a moment before looking back at her.

“Well, what do you want?” he asked.

“I want you _gone_. Out of Agrabah forever.”

Hawkmoth chuckled softly. “Is that all?” he asked. “My dear girl, everything I have done has been in pursuit of the item I wish for you to steal. Retrieve it for me, and I can promise you that you will never again see my face in this city.”

Ladybug hesitated. “What are you going to do with it?” she asked. “Hurt more people?”

“Quite the contrary. I need it to rescue somebody. That should satisfy your inexplicable scruples. Now, do we have a deal or not?” He held out his hand, and after another moment of hesitation, Ladybug shook it.

  
6.

 

“Father!”

The Sultan looked up from a scroll he was examining in the royal study. “Adrien,” he replied levelly. “I heard about your little _adventure_ yesterday. If you think-”

“What happened to the girl you arrested?” It was the first time that Adrien had interrupted his father in his entire life, and for a moment the Sultan was speechless.

“The thief?” he finally said. “Why on earth would you bother worrying about her? She’s a wanted criminal and a menace to the city.”

“She saved me! I almost got my hand cut off, and she saved me! Shouldn’t that get her a pardon or something?”

“You almost got your _hand_ cut off? Well, I hope now you finally understand why you’re not to leave the palace.”

“ _Father_. The girl?”

The Sultan shrugged. “I can hardly be expected to keep track of every single piece of riff-raff that comes through the royal prisons, my son. She’s either there, or she’s been executed already. I hardly see that it makes a difference whether it’s one or the other.”

Adrien's face went white with horror. “Executed?” he whispered.

“Well, really, Adrien, what kind of a Sultan would I be if I allowed dangerous criminals to live? Now, as for the matter of your little escapade-” The Sultan was cut off yet again as his son turned away from him abruptly and ran off, leaving him alone.

“What on earth has gotten into that boy?” he muttered to himself. Nooroo floated to his side a moment later.

“You broke his heart,” Nooroo said sadly.

“Did I? Well, that's inconvenient. I had hoped to avoid manipulating the boy’s emotions directly, but if he's going to keep ignoring every princess he meets in favor of disposable urchins like Ladybug, I may have no choice. Pity.”

  
7.

 

Ladybug had never ridden a horse before, and she’d never imagined in her life that anything could be so _bumpy_. It took all her focus to simply hold on. Luckily her horse seemed inclined to follow Hawkmoth’s, so she didn't have to worry about steering.

In the middle of nowhere, at a spot in the desert that seemed to Ladybug to be indistinguishable from every other spot, Hawkmoth suddenly stopped. “Here,” he said.

Ladybug looked around. “Where?”

“Dismount, then take ten steps in that direction.” The sorcerer pointed ahead. Ladybug landed easily on the sand and began walking. Ten steps later, the ground beneath her bare feet began to tremble. The sand before her shifted, and rose, and took the form of a great tiger head. Ladybug’s jaw fell in awe as the giant head began to speak.

_Who dares disturb my slumber?_

“It-it is I, Ladybug,” she replied, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

_Touch nothing but the Ring,_ the tiger head replied. Then it opened its giant mouth wide, becoming the entrance to the cave. Ladybug glanced back at Hawkmoth.

“Go on,” he said coldly. “Get the Ring. Touch nothing else if you value your life.”

Taking a deep breath, Ladybug approached the mouth of the cave, entered, and began descending a long, steep staircase. It felt like hours before she reached the bottom, but when she finally did her breath caught in her throat.

Treasure. So much treasure, truly beyond her wildest imagination. There must have been a hundred times as much wealth as the Sultan had in his palace, easy. For a moment Ladybug simply stood and basked in the warm light of the torches reflecting off piles, mountains of gold.

_Touch nothing else if you value your life._

Sighing, Ladybug stepped forward, making her way through the room, and the next, and the next. She hadn't been told where to find the Ring, but the cave seemed to be quite linear so far, so she didn't worry.

About four rooms in, Ladybug stepped on a carpet unthinkingly and it shifted beneath her. She let out a little scream and jumped back. The carpet rippled, seemingly of its own volition, and began hovering before her. It seemed almost expectant, almost…

Friendly?

Slowly, Ladybug held out a hand, not quite touching it. The carpet shifted again, meeting her the rest of the way, running itself under her hand in exactly the same way a cat or dog might if it wanted to be pet.

The tiger head had said to touch nothing but the Ring, but evidently this carpet didn’t count as treasure. And anyway, it had touched her first.

“Do you know where the Ring of Creation is?” Ladybug asked, almost in a whisper. The carpet rippled again, then started floating forward. Ladybug followed after it without another word.

Ladybug quickly lost count of how many rooms they passed through, and quickly lost track of which way, exactly, the carpet was leading her. Finally, though, the treasures started to abate, the rooms became less lavish, and Ladybug got the distinct impression that they were nearing an end of sorts.

Finally, they entered a giant room, a cavern, with no other exits. At its center was a large staircase, and Ladybug climbed it slowly, carefully. It wasn’t until she reached the top that she could see what was at the top-a small, ornate black box. It was open, and inside was a plain red ring. Exhaling in relief, Ladybug reached forward and picked the box up tenderly. She snapped the lid shut, then tucked the small box inside a pocket before turning around and beginning her descent.

As a rule, Ladybug was incredibly well coordinated. She had to be, in her line of work. She could leap from rooftop to rooftop with no difficulty, dodge and weave through a crowded street so nimbly it may as well have been empty, pick a dozen pockets without anyone feeling a thing, or even knowing she was there. She’d been a clumsy child, but clumsiness could get her killed on the streets so she’d trained it out of herself early on. For the most part she’d been very successful.

However, occasionally it resurfaced. Usually at the absolute worst possible moment.

About ten steps from the bottom, Ladybug suddenly tripped. She tumbled, feet over head over feet, rolling to the bottom, and continuing to tumble even after she’d reached the bottom, and before she knew it she’d crashed into a large statue. Groaning, she sat up, rubbing her head.

And then the large ruby, delicately placed in the statue’s hands, dislodged and fell right into her lap.

“Oh, come _on_!” Ladybug shouted angrily, as the cave began to rumble, as a booming voice began to echo the words the tiger’s head had spoken when she entered. She lept to her feet and began running for the exit. Running for her life.

She’d made it about fifty feet when a giant boulder almost crushed her to death, and then the carpet she’d been following suddenly reversed, sweeping her up rather insistently, so that she was now riding it, holding on for her life as it brought her back through the rooms, through the mountains of treasure, narrowly avoiding the falling rocks as the cave came crashing down around them. And then, finally, they were back in the first room, and then they were flying up the staircase, almost at the exit-

And then one last falling boulder fell, right behind Ladybug, right on the carpet, and it fell from under her and she was soaring through the air, the momentum carrying her _just_ far enough that she could grab at the edge of the opening. She clung to it for dear life and looked up to see Hawkmoth’s face peering down at her.

“I believe the instructions were quite clear,” he said.

“It was an accident!” Ladybug shouted at him angrily. “Just help me up!”

“Did you acquire the ring or not?”

“Yes, yes!” Hawkmoth waved his hand, and suddenly Ladybug was floating up safely. But instead of landing on solid ground, she remained hovering over the mouth of the collapsing cave. “Hand it over,” Hawkmoth demanded, and Ladybug was obeying before she knew it, pulling the box out of her shirt and handing it over. The second it was in Hawkmoth’s waiting hand, she began to fall. Eyes widening, she reached out frantically and just managed to grab ahold of Hawkmoth’s robes.

“You promised!” she shouted. “We had a deal! You said you just needed this one thing, and then I’d never see you again in Agrabah!”

“And I meant it,” Hawkmoth said, grabbing her off of him and holding her back over the abyss. Ladybug struggled, but her talents lay in evading capture more than in escaping it. “You will never again see my face in your city. You will never again see anyone’s face in that city, in fact. I have no more use for you. Goodbye, Ladybug.” And then he released her, and she was falling. The mouth of the cave closed completely, and all was darkness.

  
8.

 

Groaning, Ladybug sat up and rubbed her head. Why had she trusted Hawkmoth? She’d known he was evil, known he was perfectly capable of betraying her. Why had she thought this might go differently?

Oh, well. At least Hawkmoth hadn’t gotten what he’d wanted, either.

Slowly, Ladybug reached inside her shirt and pulled out the box she’d managed to reclaim right before being thrown down here. She opened it and picked up the ring delicately. She squinted at it in the dark, dim light of the cave, now devoid of any treasure.

Why had Hawkmoth wanted it?

Curious, Ladybug slipped it on, and it must have shrunk as she did so because it fit her finger perfectly. She didn’t feel any different wearing it, though. Experimentally, she pointed a finger up at the ceiling, willing an opening to appear. Nothing. Whatever this ring did, it didn’t give her easily-used magic powers, it seemed. She brought her hand up close to her face and examined the ring more closely. There seemed to be some writing on it, but Ladybug couldn’t quite make it out. Frowning, Ladybug rubbed at its surface. Instantly, a cloud of red smoke began to appear, and before Ladybug could react-

“Hello!” A bright red djinn looked up at Ladybug, her voice light and friendly. “I’m Tikki!”

Ladybug screamed.

“Wait, wait! Please, calm down!” The djinn hovered in front of her, and Ladybug did her best to get ahold of herself. “Please, I mean you no harm! I’m here to help you!”

“Help me?” Ladybug asked, breathing heavily. “Help me how?”

“I’m a djinn! I’ll grant you three wishes. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

Ladybug’s jaw dropped. “ _That’s_ why Hawkmoth wanted this ring?” She stared at it on her finger in shock and disbelief. Then she looked back at the djinn suspiciously. “I don’t know if I trust you,” she said slowly. “The guy who wanted me to steal this ring for him was evil. What if you’re evil, too? What if you’re the kind of djinn that twists wishes, makes them come out awful? I’ve heard stories like that.”

“I would never!” Tikki exclaimed indignantly. “Let me show you. Why don’t I get us out of this cave you’re stuck in?”

“Well… okay, I guess that would help,” Ladybug said hesitantly. She sat on the flying carpet and waited. Tikki hovered before her, and suddenly the red smoke around her began to grow, and thicken, surrounding them both. Ladybug couldn’t see a thing outside of it for a minute. When it finally cleared, they were outside, in the desert, at an oasis. Ladybug breathed a sigh of relief.

“There, isn’t that better?” Tikki asked.

“Yeah,” Ladybug admitted. “Okay. I guess you are the nice kind of djinn after all.”

Tikki smiled brightly. “I’m glad we’re friends now!” she said. “What are your wishes?”

Frowning, Ladybug looked at the ring again. “I don’t know,” she said slowly. “I know what I _want_. I want to help my city. I want to get rid of Hawkmoth-he’s this sorcerer, he’s terrorizing it. But the last time I tried, I wound up stuck in that cave. And I don’t know if I know enough about how the city works to make the right wishes, you know? It’s gotta be more complicated than just wishing nobody was starving, wishing Hawkmoth was gone, wishing the Sultan-” she stopped mid-sentence, a thought suddenly occurring to her.

“What?” Tikki asked. Ladybug looked at her.

“Well… I met the prince yesterday. The Sultan’s son. He’s so different from his father, Tikki, he wants to help the city, and he’s been spending his whole life learning how to rule. I bet _he’d_ know how to use three wishes properly.”

“So let’s ask him.”

Ladybug shook her head. “I could never get close enough to him,” she said. “I only met him because he snuck out of the palace disguised as a peasant. I don’t think he’ll do it again. And I’m nobody. If I wanted to talk to him, I’d have to be a princess or something.”

Tikki’s face lit up. “Then wish for _that_!” she said excitedly.

“What, me? A princess? Oh, I couldn’t,” Ladybug protested. “Besides, isn’t that a waste of a wish? What if we need all three to fix what’s wrong in the city?”

“If you make it to this prince,” Tikki pointed out, “you can give him the ring when your wishes are spent. So it’s really like you’re spending one wish to get three more. Isn’t that a good deal?”

“Well…” Ladybug frowned. “I guess, but… I don’t know, I don’t know how to be a princess.”

“Oh, it’s easy. Besides, it’s just until you meet with this prince and explain to him what’s going on,” Tikki said. “Don’t you want to see him again?”

Ladybug blushed. “Yes,” she admitted. She took a deep breath. “Alright,” she said decisively. “Tikki, I wish to be a princess!”

  
9.

 

“Make way! Make way for the Princess Marinette!”

From inside the palanquin, Ladybug-no, _Marinette_ , Princess Marinette-tried to get used to everything. It was the strangest feeling in the world, to be sitting on the inside looking out. And her best friend was not helping.

“Princess Marinette,” Volpina snickered, leaning back on an ornate pillow and trying desperately to muffle her laughter. “Look at you! Look at me! I know it’s just a crazy dream, but I really hope I never wake up.”

“Vol, please, this is serious.”

“You can’t call me that anymore,” Volpina said, grinning. “It’s _Lady Alya_ now.” Her eyes sparkled, and Ladybug sighed.

Right away, Tikki had explained that she couldn’t create real people with her magic, that her servants and guards would all be illusions. They’d be able to follow simple orders, perform simple tasks, but the Princess Marinette would need at least one real person to announce her, to speak on her behalf to the residents of the palace because it would be unseemly for her to speak for herself. Privately, Ladybug thought this was absurd and she was beginning to understand why the prince had felt confined in his life. But she was happy to have an excuse to bring her friend along, so after going home and explaining everything to Volpina, the two were now on their way through the streets of Agrabah. They were wearing the finest clothing they’d ever seen in their lives, they were in the richest palanquin imaginable, and they were on their way to seek an audience with the prince himself.

“I can’t believe nobody recognizes us,” Vol whispered, peering through the gauzy curtains.

“ _I_ don’t recognize us,” Ladybug replied, and her friend grinned.

After what felt like hours, the procession finally made it to the looming gates of the wall surrounding the palace. The doors opened for them, and they made their way through the grounds to the palace itself.

“That’s my cue,” Volpina whispered as the palanquin reached the front steps of the palace. She exited and began walking forward decisively, announcing the Princess Marinette to the waiting royal viziers. After a hurried conversation, two of them ran inside. About ten minutes later the doors of the palace opened, and the Sultan himself exited. Following right behind him was-

Ladybug’s breath caught in her throat. Adrien.

Bracing herself, she waited for her friend’s elaborate description to come to an end, and then she slowly, gracefully, emerged from the palanquin.

“Your majesty,” the head vizier said, bowing elaborately before her. “It is truly an honor for Agrabah to be graced by your magnificent presence. May I present his Royal Highness the Sultan, and his son and heir, Prince Adrien?”

Ladybug nodded her head deeply. She wasn’t sure she felt comfortable moving much more than that, actually-her costume was elaborate, and covered in jewels and scarves, and she had the distinct impression they’d all come tumbling off if she bowed. Her face was covered by an airy pink veil, but her large blue eyes were perfectly visible above it, and she looked into the prince’s, her heart beating a million miles a minute. The prince looked at her-

And then he looked right through her. He didn’t recognize her at all. He didn’t seem the slightest bit interested in her whatsoever. He bowed, but said nothing.

“I can’t tell you how welcome your unexpected arrival is,” the Sultan said to her. “Finding my son a bride has been a nightmare, but I’m sure the two of you will get along splendidly. Won’t you, Adrien?” Ladybug was grateful, suddenly, for the ornate veil, which now hid her blush. _Bride_? She’d only wanted to speak to the prince, and now-

“Of course, Father,” Adrien said, but his voice was subdued and totally without enthusiasm. “But I’m afraid that just now, I must take my leave.” He bowed once more, and was gone before either the Sultan or Ladybug could say another word.

The Sultan clenched his jaw silently for a moment, before turning back to Ladybug. “My deepest apologies, Princess,” he said smoothly. “The prince is… having a difficult time lately. He will certainly come around.” The Sultan turned to Volpina. “In the meantime,” he continued, “I insist on housing you here. I’m sure you’ll find the guest quarters here to be quite comfortable for your princess. I’ll have my servants move you in at once.” He snapped, and several men rushed forward. Ladybug and Volpina were escorted off without another word, and the Sultan made his way back to the palace.

The Sultan was clearly angered, and all his servants and viziers knew to give him a wide berth in this state. He made his way to a private room, and once he was alone Nooroo appeared before him. “What _happened_?” he demanded. “Adrien was supposed to fall for the next princess that arrived, but he’s clearly still mooning over that _Ladybug_.” He practically spat the name of the thief who had stolen his last chance for resurrecting his wife.

“The spell should have worked,” Nooroo said nervously. “Maybe it just needs time?”

“I don’t _have_ time,” the Sultan said, his voice low and dangerous. “I need to figure out how to get that ring back. _Without_ using my last wish. I can’t be worrying about marrying Adrien off. He _must_ marry this new princess, this Princess Marinette, do you understand?”

  
10.

 

“Your highness? Prince Adrien?”

It was well after dark, and Adrien had not expected to see anyone again until the morning, nor had he wanted to. He sat up, startled, and followed the sound of the voice out to his large balcony.

It was the Princess Marinette.

“I’m sorry,” she said apologetically, “I know this is… inappropriate, but I really do need to speak with you.”

“How did you…” Adrien looked around, trying to figure out how the princess had gotten access to his private balcony, but then he sighed. It hardly mattered. “Princess,” he said slowly, “I’m very sorry, I know you’ve come all this way, and I’m being unforgivably rude, but I just-and, look, I’m sure you’re very nice and anyone would be lucky to marry you.”

“That’s not what I-”

“It’s just me, okay? I can’t-not right now, I know it’s the law, I know my father wants me married immediately, but I just can’t bear the thought of it right now. There was… there was this girl. She meant a lot to me. And she died. Very recently, actually. So it’s not you, I promise. I just… I just need time, okay?”

“Oh,” Marinette said softly. “I’m so sorry, I had no idea. I-” she looked as though she wanted to say something more, but then her face softened. “Of course, I’ll let you be alone. I’m sorry I intruded.” And then, before Adrien could say another word, she’d climbed over the side of the balcony and jumped off. Adrien shouted and rushed forward, leaning over the edge, reaching out-

And Marinette looked back up at him, totally unharmed, floating in midair. Her eyes widened. “Oh my-I am _so_ sorry, I wasn’t thinking, I didn’t mean to scare you like that.”

“What… what is that?” Adrien asked, his heartbeat starting to slow down to a more acceptable rate.

“This? It’s a flying carpet.” Marinette floated up, and now Adrien could see it clearly.

“It’s incredible,” he whispered, reaching out to touch it. It almost felt alive.

“Do you… do you want to go for a ride?” Marinette asked shyly. After a moment of hesitation, Adrien nodded emphatically. She held a hand out to him and helped him climb up onto it. There was something almost familiar about the gesture, but before Adrien could put his finger on what it was exactly, they were off.

Up they soared, and over the palace walls-those walls that had kept Adrien trapped his whole life, that he’d gone to such great lengths to get past, Adrien was now flying over them as though they were nothing. And now they were above the great city of Agrabah, and all its people. Adrien had never imagined it could seem so big, so busy, so beautiful.

They flew over the desert, over herds of wild running horses, through the night sky, the stars had never been brighter, Adrien had never felt more free. Adrien’s eyes were huge, he was trying to look at everything at once, but Marinette was just looking at him.

“Pretty great view, right?” Marinette asked. And just like that, Adrien realized why the princess had seemed so familiar.

Ladybug. Ladybug had said that exact thing to him, Marinette had Ladybug’s eyes, her smile, Adrien didn’t understand why he hadn’t seen it before. But… no, it wasn’t possible, was it?

“It is,” Adrien agreed slowly. He looked at her casually. “Too bad Volpina’s missing it.”

“Nah, she hates heights,” the princess replied. A second later her face fell. “I mean-”

“ _Ladybug_?”

“I can explain,” she said in a rush. “I didn’t want to lie to you, I swear, I just needed to get close enough to you to tell you something, but I couldn’t when I was just an ordinary thief, so I had to…” she trailed off. “Please don’t be mad,” she said in a small voice.

Adrien stared at her in shock for a moment, and then he threw his arms around her and hugged her more tightly than anyone had ever hugged Ladybug in her life. “Mad?” he said, as though the idea were ridiculous. “I’m overjoyed, I can’t believe-I thought you were _dead_ , Ladybug!”

“What? Why?”

“You were arrested, and my father, he said that if you weren’t in the prisons that meant you’d been executed, and I couldn’t find-”

“Oh, God, Adrien, I’m so sorry, I had no idea.” Ladybug shook her head. “And right after that girl you liked died, too, that must have been awful for you.”

For a moment, Adrien was speechless. “It was _you_ , you were the girl I was talking about,” he finally managed to say. Ladybug’s cheeks went pink. “You’re the most incredible girl I’ve ever met in my life,” he continued. “How did you _do_ all this?”

“It’s a long story,” she replied. “But the short version is, I got my hands on a ring with a wish-granting djinn. And I didn’t know what to wish for, to save Agrabah, but I thought you might-so I wished for all this, so I could get close enough to you. So you can tell me how to use the other two wishes.”

“That’s…” Adrien paused, his mind going a million miles a minute. Two different wish-granting djinns, in two days? It was too crazy to just be a coincidence, right? But Adrien couldn’t focus on that, his mind kept coming back to one thing. “You got a djinn,” he said slowly, “and your first thought was to get it to _me_? To help Agrabah?”

Ladybug nodded. “I remembered everything you said,” she told him. “About being Sultan one day, about helping the city, and I thought you could-”

Adrien leaned forward and kissed her. After a moment of shock, she kissed him back.

 

~~~

 

When the carpet finally took them back to Adrien’s balcony, his quarters were swarming with guards. Prince Adrien stepped inside, the Princess Marinette following close behind him, and saw his father storming around angrily.

“-couldn’t have just disappeared into thin air, I want every inch of this place-”

“Father?”

The Sultan looked up, and a dozen emotions flashed across his face at once. After a moment, he settled on rage. “Adrien. Where have you _been_? After everything I’ve been through, you have the utter nerve to-”

“I’m sorry, Father,” Adrien interrupted. “I’ve been getting to know the Princess Marinette. I didn’t mean to make you worry. But you’ll be happy to hear that we are now engaged.”

“ _What_?” Marinette hissed under her breath.

“Just follow my lead,” Adrien muttered back.

For a moment, the Sultan was simply shocked, but then his expression cleared and brightened. “Engaged?” he repeated. “That is welcome news indeed, my son. Almost too good to be true.” He grinned to himself briefly, and then his attention turned to Marinette. “My dear, I cannot tell you how pleased I am.” He strode forward. As he got close enough to see the princess’ unveiled face, a curious look came over him. “Yes,” he said slowly, looking down at her. “Very, very pleased.” He took her hand and bowed his head to it chivalrously. “We shall begin making the arrangements first thing in the morning. For now I’ll have a guard escort you back to your quarters.” The Sultan snapped, and a guard stepped forward. Marinette turned to Adrien, one eyebrow raised.

“Goodnight, Princess,” he said, grinning. “We’ll figure it all out tomorrow,” he added in a whisper, as he hugged her goodbye.

  
11.

 

“Ladybug. _Ladybug._  Wake up, we have a huge problem.” Volpina shook her friend frantically, and Ladybug’s eyes finally began to open.

“Sorry,” she yawned, “I was out late last night. What’s wrong?”

“Everything,” Volpina replied, her eyes wide with fear. “First of all, Hawkmoth’s back, and he’s kidnapped the royal family.”

“ _What_?” Ladybug sat up, now wide awake.

“They’re being held prisoner inside the palace,” Volpina told her. “The guards can’t get inside, all the doors are blocked with magic.”

Ladybug took a deep breath. “Okay… okay, we can figure this out. It’s fine. I have two more wishes.”

“Yeah, I thought of that,” Volpina said darkly. “That brings me to the second problem.”

“What are you talking about?” Ladybug lifted her hand, preparing to summon Tikki, and her face went pale. “Vol, what happened to the ring?”

“No idea,” she said. “I came in here to tell you about Hawkmoth, and it was gone.”

Ladybug stood up and went to the window. Gazing across the grounds, she could see the entire first floor of the palace engulfed in ominous purple smoke. She took a deep breath and set her jaw, then began removing her ornate veils and jewels.

“What are you doing?” Volpina asked.

“These belong to the Princess Marinette,” her friend replied, “and rescuing Adrien is a job for Ladybug.”

 

~~~

 

The carpet carried Ladybug up to the highest window in the palace, and she softly lept through it. Her instincts had been right-Hawkmoth had not bothered to seal off the windows of the upper floors. Silently, she began to make her way through the palace. She didn’t know it as well as she’d have liked, but there were strange noises coming from below, from the center, and she followed those.

Finally, she reached the main audience chamber. Peering in, she could just make out the sorcerer Hawkmoth at its center, casting some vile dark magic that Ladybug couldn’t begin to comprehend. And there, in the corner of the room, tied up and gagged, was the prince. Ladybug’s heart skipped a beat at the sight, but then she re-focused on the task at hand. Keeping low to the ground, she slowly made her way around the room, behind ornate furniture and pillars, totally unseen by Hawkmoth. Adrien noticed her when she was about halfway to him, and began frantically shaking his head at her. She ignored him, and soon she’d reached his side.

“I’m getting you out of here,” she whispered, as he continued to shake his head at her. She pulled his gag off.

“You have to get out of here,” he said, the second he could speak. “Forget about me, just _go_ before it’s too late.”

“Are you crazy? I’m not leaving you here, who knows what Hawkmoth will do to you.”

“He won’t do anything to me,” Adrien insisted. “It’s a trap for you, he’s-”

“Ah, Ladybug,” a cold voice said. “Right on time.” Ladybug tried to turn, but she was suddenly frozen in place. “Or should I say, the Princess Marinette?” Hawkmoth continued. “I do feel somewhat embarrassed at not recognizing you earlier. But on the other hand, you never did recognize me, so I suppose I’ve beaten you there as well.” Ladybug felt herself being turned around by some invisible force, and now she was looking Hawkmoth right in the face. She gasped, suddenly recognizing him.

“You- _you’re_ Hawkmoth?” Ladybug’s jaw dropped in disbelief.

“Indeed,” the Sultan said. “And you’re the thief that betrayed me.” He scoffed. “And as though that wasn’t more than enough, you had the audacity to use your first wish to try and marry my son! So when I took that ring back, and joined it with my own,” he held his hand up, revealing two rings, red and black, stacked together on his finger, “and their djinns informed me that I could not resurrect my wife without an equal exchange of life-well, who else could I possibly choose for that honor but you?”

“Father, _no_ ,” Adrien said, his voice pleading. “You can’t do this, it’s wrong!”

“It is unfortunate that you’ve grown attached to this thief,” the Sultan said, turning back to his sorcery, “but in time you will move on. I’m sure your mother’s presence will be a great comfort to you as you do so.”

“Mother wouldn’t have wanted this!” the prince cried. “You know that, you must know that!”

“It doesn’t matter what she would have wanted,” the Sultan said. “She was soft-hearted, like you. You both need someone like me to keep you safe, to protect you. Someone who will always do what needs to be done. Someone who doesn’t rely on anyone but himself.”

Suddenly, Ladybug started laughing. Hawkmoth whirled on her. “Something amuses you, thief?”

“Oh, yes,” she said, still laughing. “The idea that you think you’re not relying on anyone but yourself.”

“I’m not,” Hawkmoth snapped. “I have taught myself all this sorcery, I have tracked these rings down myself-”

“And now you’ll be at the mercy of whatever the djinns want to give you,” Ladybug said. “You’re not doing anything, they are.”

Hawkmoth clenched a jaw. “It’s the same thing.”

“Really?” Ladybug asked. “Tell me, have you wished for anything already? Did it turn out _exactly_ the way you wanted it to?”

Hawkmoth considered this. “Not… not exactly, no,” he admitted.

“And when the djinns have tricked you into wasting your final wishes, what will you do then?” To this, Hawkmoth had no answer. “You don’t have the power to bring her back yourself. You’re just putting your blind faith in those djinns. Now, if _you_ were the djinn, I suppose you could just do it yourself, but as a man, even as a sorcerer, even as the Sultan himself, you’ll never get the Sultana back.”

Hawkmoth clenched his jaw, but Ladybug could see that her words had hit home. “You’re right,” he finally said slowly. “I’ve been a fool.” He held his hand up and rubbed the twin rings simultaneously. “Djinns!” he shouted, as the black and red smoke began to swirl. “I wish to become the most powerful djinn in the universe!”

The plumes of red and black smoke began to swirl, to wrap around him. They picked up speed, and now the winds in the room were picking up, the Sultan was completely engulfed with smoke, Ladybug and Adrien were being pushed back against the wall, it felt as though everything was tearing apart-

And then, quite suddenly, everything died down. The smoke disappeared, and there was a small clattering. Ladybug pushed herself up off the wall, then quickly untied Adrien. Wordlessly, they both cautiously approached the center of the room. There were three rings lying on the floor. The red one, the black one, and a new one, a purple ring. Ladybug glanced at Adrien.

“I’m sorry,” Ladybug said to him. “I just-I couldn’t think of any other way to-”

“No,” Adrien said softly. “It’s better this way. He can’t hurt you anymore. He can’t hurt the city.” Sighing, he reached forward and picked the ring up. “Maybe… maybe one day I’ll be able to help him.”

“I hope so,” Ladybug said softly.

“For now, though,” Adrien said, “I should work on undoing all the damage he’s done these last few years.”

Ladybug nodded. “You have the other rings now,” she said. “You’ll be able to use them to fix everything, I know it.” She started to walk away, but Adrien reached out and grabbed her hand.

“I don’t-” the prince took a steadying breath. “I don’t think I can do it without you,” he said. “Will you help me?”

“Really?” Adrien nodded, and Ladybug grinned and hugged him tightly. “Of course, of course I will,” she promised. “We’ll do it together.”

“Together,” Adrien repeated. “I like the sound of that.”


End file.
